Cherry drags Derrick along as they pass attraction after attraction. Soon enough, Cherry eventually found the bakery that Julia had recommended to her as she and Derrick stood in front of a storefront that awaited customers. "Here it is! Wow, it looks so pretty!" she comments as she admires the outside view of the store. It wasn't as grand as other establishments, but it makes up for it with cozy and nostalgic vibes, which are complemented by the aroma of the pastries that it sells. "I guess it sure is..." Derrick would also comment, but it was lackluster as he still had his mind on something.
"Do you want to head inside to eat?" he asks the girl, to which they respond by immediately pulling them into the store. "Do I!?" she would exclaim as she barges through the door and heads quickly over to the counter with him as she admires all of the pastries displayed up front. "They got everything!"" Cherry couldn't help but smile at the sight. Just thinking about all these pastries being accessible to her, she'd be remiss if she wasn't through the moon by this point. "Derrick, what do you want?" She would ask him as she let him pick from the assortment of food. "Oh, uhmm... I'll make the chocolate cross," he tells her. Despite the simple pick, it was something he hadn't had before.
Cherry, on the other hand, would go and order as much as she wanted, as she zips and whizzes all over the place as she orders everything. "I'll take this one, and this one, oh, and I'll definitely get this one," she would say as she zipped around. Derrick would see this and know the train wasn't going to stop there. So he decides to just go get them two seats while she orders the stuff. Derrick finds a vacant table close to the window, which he takes just for the sights. As he looks out, he sees the residents of the kingdom walking down the sidewalk.
"Well, it's going to be a while until our order gets here, so we've got to wait a bit for that." Cherry comes in, finally done ordering her stuff, as she takes a seat across from him. "Well, considering you got one of everything, I think I know why. ha ha!" Derrick would say as he chuckled with her. "Oh, c'mon, I gotta at least try some while we're here," she would reason as she downplays the anticipation of having to try sweets. "I get you, but one of everything on the menu?" Derrick would add. Seeing how big that order would've been, they'd be paying double or triple the amount of what they had. "If you're worried about money, don't be. I can take care of it," she would say, boasting her wealth to him like a trophy, which he didn't mind all that much. All he considered money to be were just some rocks processed into tiny circles to use as currency; what he truly saw the value of was what it used to be.
"So Derrick, can we talk about Pyxis for a second?" she would say, which sets him off a bit. Even when he's not with him, Pyxis still happens to be the center of focus. Luckily, he would soon find out what she wanted to talk about him for. "What about pyxis?" Derrick would ask. Was he too obvious with it? Was he not low-key enough that she found him out? No, but it did give him the fright of hearing it. "I'm just not too sure about him, y'know? I just feel like he's trying to do something," she would tell him. which made Derrick relieved for a moment before realizing that Cherry was feeling the same way as he did. "Right, that's what I'm saying!" he would say back, as they both thought they were on the same page.
"Yeah, its kind of weird he just showed up out of nowhere, right?" She would preface as she leaned back to her chair. "Yeah, but I mean, you're kind of in the same situation though," he would point out. The two did just enter the party recently, both reasons being that the group had to do something or needed something from them. but Cherry knew the case as she defended it, no problem. "Yeah, but I know you personally for the hours we spent together. Plus, Pyxis kind of forced his way into our conversation, and that drunkard obviously ableing him makes me want to beat him in his stupid stubbly face!" Cherry would then air out her grievances with the lad as she crossed her arms. "Tetsuga... yeah," Derrick would say, but Cherry noticed something when he did. As he said his name, Derrick almost immediately went into deep thought. as if mulling about something. Now this wouldn't do at all; she needed him to speak up about it.
"Derrick, is there something going on with you?" Cherry would ask, which Derrick would obviously reject and say was nothing, but she knew just by his mannerisms alone. not like she herself wouldn't do the same things and not notice it. "Oh, look, our order is here! Let's focus on that!" he tells her as he points towards the server coming in with a big tray full of Cherry's order and a tiny plate full of chocolate croissants for Derrick. "Oh, the sweets are here! Gimme!" she would say as she began feasting upon them once they were laid down on the table by the waiter. Derrick, seeing her gobble the sweets down like there was no tomorrow, decides to eat himself as he takes a bit out of the chocolate-filled croissant.
As he did so, a flurry of sugary taste filled his mouth as the bread crunched under the bite and chocolate started to spew. filling his mouth with delicious chocolate. "Oh wow, this is really good," Derrick would say afterwards as he took a second bite. Meanwhile, Cherry was wolfing them all down like a hungry woman, as she found all the sweets to be just as good as what Derrick thought of them. "I know, right? its so good!" she would say as she bounced in her seat. "Oh, it looks like you have a little smudge there," Derrick would say as he reaches over to her face and rubs a piece of jam off from the side of her mouth. This sudden act gave her quite a bit of embarrassment, as she blushed on the spot. "Oh, thanks for that," she would say meekly, which he chuckled at. not like what he did was anything special. was it?
who knows. All they did now was enjoy their treats for the day as they ate every single one. By the end, it was already past afternoon, and the two exited the shop like they were filled for the next two weeks. more so, Cherry. Derrick was just happy to have had a chocolate croissant. "Well, where to next, Cherry?" Derrick would ask as he looked at her. Cherry thought about what to do next after having eaten. Maybe walk a bit more. but that wouldn't really be fun. especially for him because she knew what made him tick. and then a blast of inspiration-a flyer that was stapled onto a bulletin board posted on the side of the street with many others like it. It presented to her in bold letters, 'sky watching exhibit'.
"How about we go sky watching?" Cherry would suggest as she points him towards the flyer she just saw. "A sky-watching exhibit... well, isn't that interesting?" Derrick would say for sure. Despite being a lover of rocks and all earthly things, he had yet to explore what was beyond their skies. So for him, he was equally interested in it as she was. "Let's go check it out!" Cherry would say as both of them, now walking side by side, made their way to the exhibit. As they walked through the streets, the night slowly crept into the night sky. but thanks to the kingdom and its income, it was able to light the streets well, like it was daytime still. It was never a dull moment, as Derrick guessed as they passed through.
"So... are you going to talk about it?" Cherry would try to bring it up again. Seeing as he rejected the notion the first time, she wasn't going to take it as final. "What do you mean?" he asked. not really sure what she is talking about yet. "I mean, are you going to talk about what you were mulling about earlier?" she would say as they both stopped on the sidewalk a bit to properly have this conversation. "I told you, Cherry, nothing is on my mind." He would try to defend again. but she wouldn't falter easily. "Derrick, I know something is bothering you, so just spit it out," she would tell him. She knew bottling it up inside was going to end badly for him, so as someone who would list it, it was important that he tell her now. Derrick, on the other hand, was unsure. He didn't want to be mean to Pyxis, but he and Tetsuga were getting so close, you'd even think they were inseparable. It stung him every time he thought of it.
"I don't... I don't know what to say," he would tell her as he rubbed his arm. He didn't know what to do about these feelings of his. Was this the inadequacy he was feeling? that someone who appeared all of a sudden was going to outdo him in terms of being Tetsuga's right-hand man. All he saw from Pyxis was as if he were looking into a mirror that made you better. "Then just tell me what's going on with you," Cherry would urge as he struggled to let her know. "I just know Pyxis is going to replace me in Tetsuga's life," he would say. as if ashamed by that. but Cherry didn't think so. "What and why would you think that?" she would ask. "You and I both know he just showed up on us, but now he's being all chummy with Mr. . Tetsuga, and I'm worried. Something is clearly going on, and you know it too," Derrick would tell her.
"What? Is that what you thought I knew? No, all I was suggesting was that he was suspicious, that's all," Cherry would say as she cleared up that mistake. "But why would you ever think Pyxis would replace you? He's been in this group for how long?" she tried to assure him, but it didn't really work all that much. "To put it frankly, Pyxis is just me but better. He likes rocks, he's composed, he's older, and not to mention the fact he doesn't need Mr. Tetsuga to save him when he's in a pinch," he would tell her as well as he begins letting it all out. "Derrick, just because he's all that, that doesn't mean that he's better," she would say as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You are special," she would say. but suddenly Derick would go and swat her hand away in a fit of irritation. this gave her quite the scare as her eyes widen. "No, I am not!... and neither are you, Cherry; none of us are," he would say as he hung his head low. "I've come to accept that life, and you should to," he would say before he started walking away. "D-Derrick!" was all that came out, but Derrick didn't respond; all he did was walk away from her while she stood where she was at the moment. letting it all sink in. those words, Derrick's smile. It was an understatement to say that she was just hurt. Her eyes water as the words he said reverberate in her head like a choir. but, no! She was a tough young lady. Despite what was said, she was going to turn Derrick's frown upside down so she could see him smile again. But first, she needed to find where he went.
as she runs through, finding the boy. Derrick was sadly walking through the streets alone. He reflected on his words to her. he knew he hurt her with those. He knew he shouldn't have said it that way, but it was true. At least that's what he thought. He would try to look up and go back to Cherry to apologize for his outburst, but then something coughed in his eye. He looks to his side and sees a window, which shows Tetsuga drinking merrily with Pyxis. For some reason, he couldn't help but think that he had been replaced by him. I guess being a drinking partner for him was another thing he was able to do, among other things. choosing not to see anymore of it, he leaves his spot to find a better spot to be moody at. Fortunately or unfortunately, Pyxis managed to catch a glimpse of him when he left.